Hozan ryu

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Hozan Ryu (Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu) is a koryu sogo bujutsu or complete Japanese martial art.

Founded by Tsutsumi Hozan (Tsutsumi Yamashiro no kami Hozan), the date of its founding is debatable. Most likely it would have been in the late 1300's or early 1400's. Since Tsutsumi Hozan was the 12th disciple of the priest Jion, it is safe to assume that the sword style of Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu would have been based upon Jion’s Nen Ryu. Hozan was also adept with the jitte and at jujutsu, originally referred to as yoroi kumi (grappling in armor). Traditionally, Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu also included the yari (spear), bo (staff), torinawa or hojojutsu (tying techniques), and kusarigama. Some also suggest the manriki or manriki-gusari (chain) and chigiriki jo (staff and chain) may have been included in the system.

1 After the Meji Restoration
2 Today
3 References
4 Sources

[edit] After the Meji Restoration

The majority of the weapon arts, including the sword work, were lost at the turn of the 20th century. A single sword technique, hatten giri (not hachiten giri), which means eight heaven cuts, was included in the forms for the Japanese police sword school, the Keishicho Ryu Gekken Kata in 1886.^[1] It is worth noting that none of the teacher at the police academy at the time were said to have been teachers of Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu. Also, at this time the art was only being taught in Kyoto and Himeji.

The last known teacher of Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu, Tsutsumi Masao, is said to have been a supporter of the ‘new’ art being developed by Jigoro Kano, called judo. It is hard to say after his death, in 1898, what remained of Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu, and what had been influenced by judo. Conversely it is hard to say if Tsutsumi had any influence on the creation of judo, as other styles did in those days. One of Tsutsumi Masao’s students, Katsukuma Higashi, came to the United States in the early 1900’s and engaged in bouts with American wrestlers. Higashi’s record is some what debatable, but for his small size, and young age, he did quite well against the professional US wrestlers. Due to the age of Higashi when he arrived in the US, and the fact that his teacher had died several years prior, one may assume that Higashi had not been as adept as he and his promoter, Hancock, boasted. The book written by Higashi and Hancock, The Complete Kano Jiu-jitsu, shows a very distinct difference between from other early work published on judo, which are remarkably modern for the time (e.g Arima’s Judo: Japanese Physical Culture). This suggests that Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu Jujutsu may have been quite different from the judo.

Tsusumi Hozan Ryu also appears in Europe in the 1900’s. In Germany, Erich Rahn began teaching Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu Jujutsu to the Berlin Police in 1906.^[2] By the 1930’s jujutsu, presumably Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu, but referred to as “European Jiu-jitsu,” had spread across Germany and Austria with three Federations and over 100 clubs. One possible source for this may have been Higashi, who left the US for France and then Germany in 1905. No trace of Higashi after travelling to Germany can be found.

[edit] Today

Today Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu only exists in Australia, from the jujutsu teachings of the late Jan de Jong. He states that he and his father were instructed in the art by two Japanese brothers, S. Saito, an 8th Dan, and K. Saito, a 7th dan, in Indonesia, in the 1920’s and 30’s. Both of these men were presumably students of Tsutsumi Masao. The only source of legitimacy, other than the mans word, is that the modern Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu Jujutsu practiced in Australia does indeed resemble Tsutsumi’s art as depicted in Higashi’s book, with the signature leg techniques, long since removed from judo. At this point it is important to note that the art in Australia is a goshinjutsu (self defence) and hence is not taught in the traditional kata forms seen in most koryu jujutsu. Instead, a kata-randori mix is used, referred to as Shinken Shobu no Kata (form of true/live fighting). This may be an influence from judo, although it is claimed to be a traditional characteristic of Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu. Hence, the current state of the art is more gendai budo (modern martial art) as opposed to Koryu (classical). It is also important to note that the majority of teachers in Australia do not claim to be teaching Koryu, simply self defence/jujutsu.

[edit] References

^ Kendo Nippon, No. 283, September 1999 (Japanese Journal)
^ Joseph R. Svinth, "The Evolution of Women's Judo, 1900-1945" EJMAS, InYo: The Journal of Alternative Perspectives on the Martial Arts and Sciences, Feb 2001.